The Ultimate Nautilus: A Promise of Luxury in Off-Road RVing

Jules Verne's classic sci-fi novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island featured the Nautilus, a submarine described as a "masterpiece containing masterpieces". At the time these books were written, the Nautilus was a state-of-the-art ship that captured the admiration of the fictional characters who lived in it as well as the imagination of the readers who loved these books.

In a case of life imitating art, we now have Ultimate Nautilus, a new RV model that wowed the public at its launching in the 2012 NSW Caravan, Camping, RV & Holiday Supershow in Australia. Reported to be the new flagship RV of the Australia-based RV manufacturer Ultimate, Nautilus is being promoted as "the world's best off-road camper".

But is it? At first glance, Nautilus is certainly a unique-looking trailer. It looks like a boat, just as what its name suggests, a throwback to Ultimate Campers CEO Michael Hackett's days as a builder of boats and designer of luxury ocean cruisers. And what a boat - it's very sleek and streamlined, and it's made with composite/fiberglass materials. The trailer's nose and pull-out staircase is similar to an airplane's. This rig is definitely shiny. On towed mode, it measures some 6.35m (20.83ft) long, 2.10m (6.89ft) wide and 2.38m (7.80ft) high. When it's on camping mode, with slide-outs and awning out, the Nautilus is 7.79m (25.56ft) long, 3.28m (10.76ft) wide and 2.98m (9.78ft) high.

Hackett said luxury is the main benefit Nautilus offers RVers. Nautilus lives up to the promise with external features like such as jerry can storage pockets, an outside galley made up of a sink and stove set, and an external shower. Inside the Nautilus, you'll find a queen-sized bed pod that slides out, a leather-style lounge, an iPod/CD system, and a galley-style kitchen with compressor fridge/freezer, a hot plate and a sink. This camper additionally has LED lights and solar panels.

If you want to be more comfortable in your RV trips aboard Nautilus, you have the option to buy its GT model. The GT model includes upgrades on a number of features, including an oven/grill upgrade for the hot plate and a widescreen TV add-on. Also, Nautilus does not have an in-suite shower and toilet, so you have to get it as an upgrade.

Nautilus is designed for traversing the Australian Outback, so you can truly expect it to perform even in the least ideal travel conditions. It is the product of a two-year research involving composite engineers and naval architects. Nautilus' monocoque hull is built to withstand blows, dents and scratches. It is also designed to be a lot less air-resistant.

Though Nautilus was launched in 2012, its release year is set in 2015. However, you can pre-order it for a starting price of $114,950.

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